Information on a union named SECAMAT could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

However, a 26 July 1996 letter from the Confederación de Trabajadores de Honduras (CTH, Confederation of Honduran Workers) states that SEPCAMAT is a legally registered organization (personalidad juridica No. 252), founded on 30 May 1975, with a present membership of 700 individuals. The organization is affiliated to the Federación Central de Sindicatos de Trabajadores Libres de Honduras (FECESITLIH, Central Federation of Unions of Free Honduran Workers) and to the CTH.

According to the CTH, from 1989 to 1992, leaders and members of SEPCAMAT faced persecution for political reasons, including massive dismissals and state intervention in the organization's affairs. Of the union's 4000 members, only 700 have retained their membership.

A copy of the CTH letter, which is in Spanish, is available from the DIRB upon request.

Please consult the attachments for information on the involvement of SEPCAMAT and FECESITLIH in protests and strikes in the spring of 1991.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Confederación de Trabajadores de Honduras (CTH), Tegucigalpa. 26 July 1996. Letter received by the DIRB in Spanish.

Agence France Presse (AFP) [Paris, in Spanish]. 7 May 1991. "Government Workers Strike to Protest Dismissals." (FBIS-LAT-91-088 7 May 1991, p. 13)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) [Hamburg, in Spanish]. 10 April 1991. "Public Workers Continue Strike; Troops Deployed." (FBIS-LAT-91-070 11 Apr. 1991, p. 7)

La Tribuna [Tegucigalpa, in Spanish]. 10 April 1991. "President Deems Strike 'Irresponsible'." (FBIS-LAT-91-070 11 Apr. 1991, pp. 7-8)

Televisora Hondurena [Tegucigalpa, in Spanish]. 9 April 1991. Reported by Carlos Riedel. "Central Labor Federation Calls General Strike." (FBIS-LAT-91-068 9 Apr. 1991, p. 17)